The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has distributed vital agricultural inputs to 900 farmers in Ebonyi and Osun states.
The empowerment programme is part of a broader effort to ensure the availability of staple foods and to support Nigerian farmers in enhancing crop yields and overall food production.
The beneficiaries received NALDA-branded bags filled with high-grade fertilizer, herbicides, and improved seed varieties tailored to the agricultural focus of each state.
The accredited beneficiaries in Ebonyi received rice and maize while that of Osun were given rice and beans for cultivation.
In Ebonyi, the distribution event took place at Ishiagu community in the Ivo local government area.
where 400 farmers, including 200 maize and 200 rice cultivators from 10 communities within the Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency were provided the inputs.
In Osun State, 500 farmers from various local governments received maize and beans seeds in Osogbo, the state capital.
The process also involved meticulous documentation of the farmers and their land sizes to ensure precise distribution for optimal results.
Addressing the farmers, the executive-secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to support farmers to bolster food security in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive of food security.
Represented by NALDA’s head of soil science department, Lucius Ndimele, Ikonne added that the empowerment was strategically aimed at reaching genuine grassroots farmers to amplify food production and improve access to staple foods.
“The government is ensuring that you can produce what you eat by providing you with inputs,” Ikonne stated, while emphasising the importance of farming and the goal to reduce food prices in the market.